WASHINGTON, D.C. /eNewsChannels/ — The U.S. Department of State is partnering with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), NASA, and NIKE, Inc. to host the LAUNCH: Energy Forum November 11-13, 2011 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
During the Forum, ten innovators selected by LAUNCH will present their groundbreaking ideas for the provision of more sustainable energy sources and improved access to energy for both developed and developing world populations.
The following innovators have been chosen to participate in the forum:
1. Gram Power: A micro/mini-grid solution for underserved communities that utilizes modular battery storage technology, energy management intelligence, and a pre-payment model.
2. Hydrovolts: An affordable “Switchblade” turbine and “Flipwing” turbine rotor that enables reliable hydroelectricity generation from canals and other managed-flow water courses.
3. Turbococina: A revolutionary clean and efficient wood combustion cookstove.
4. Point Source Power: An economical fuel cell for emerging markets that allows battery charging in cooking pits or fires.
5. The Solanterns Initiative: An initiative dedicated to replacing 1 million of Kenya’s kerosene lanterns with solar powered lights and to creating micro-entrepreneur jobs.
6. Powerzoa: A smart system that allows enterprise-level energy managers to automate control of energy down to the appliance level, stopping power waste.
7. Promethean Power Systems: A rural refrigeration system for commercial cold-storage applications in off-grid and partially electrified areas of developing countries.
8. Thermofluidics: A pumping device that uses low-temperature heat to generate fluid motion with very few moving parts.
9. ITN Energy Systems: A revolutionary flexible electrochromic film for windows that allows active control of the sun’s transmitted light and heat.
10. NanoTune Technologies: A new generation ultracapacitor with five to seven times greater energy storage capacity than conventional capacitors.
The LAUNCH program identifies innovations poised to create transformational change in critical sustainability issues, connects innovators to thought leaders, investors and advisors, and then provides strategic guidance post Forum in order to accelerate the implementation of the technologies and projects into the global market. Previous LAUNCH modules in 2010 focused on Water and Health. For more information about LAUNCH, visit: www.launch.org.
